Near Goldsboro, North Carolina
Friday, March 24 1865

Dear Diary,

Well, here we are back with Sherman's boys, 
and on what I am sure must be the last campaign 
of this long and terrible war.  We're on our 
way to cooperate with Grant outside Petersburg, 
if the Rebs last that long.

To bring things up to date, just as I expected, 
General Thomas broke out of Nashville on the 
16th and 17th of December.  The Rebel lines were 
simply too weak to hold him.  He hit their right 
flank about dawn, and the whole Reb line just 
kinda collapsed. In all the years I've been in
this army, I've never seen Rebs run from a 
fight.  Sure, I've seen them beaten, but to 
simply throw down their muskets, haversacks, 
and run, now I've never seen that.  From what 
some of my buddies were saying, that's just 
what the Rebs did when Thomas hit.  I guess, 
seeing the numbers they were facing, and with 
all their best leaders dead after Franklin, I 
can't really blame them.

At any rate, as soon as Hood was on his way 
back south, Uncle Billy sent for us.  We 
travelled by rail up through Louisville to 
Cincinnati, then on into North Carolina.  
Being that close to home made me think
real serious of jumping the train to see the 
folks, but I've been in this War from the 
beginning - might as well see it through.

I said we travelled by train, and so we did, 
but not normal like.  It seems the boxcars are 
for war supplies - ammunition, food, and the
like.  Us troops travel On Top of the cars!  
There's really a trick to staying on top of 
a moving boxcar, with its slanting roof, and 
still get some sleep!  What I learned to do 
is wedge my bayonet under the roof timbers, 
then make a sling with my cartridge belt 
around the bayonet.  Then, all I have to do 
is wrap my arm up in the sling, and with luck 
I can get some sleep reasonably secure from 
falling off!  Of course, I have to change 
arms every once in a while, to keep the 
circulation going.

As for the Rebs, Joe Johnston is back in 
command again.  They fought really well at 
Bentonville from the 19th until the 21st, 
but it really doesn't make much difference 
for them anymore.  They can hold a position, 
even win a victory, but doing so costs them 
troops, and they simply are running out.  
Johnston was outnumbered even before we 
showed up - all he can really do is try to 
delay our linkup with the Army of the Potomac 
around Petersburg.  But, I've got to admit, he 
and his boys are doing the best he can to keep 
us occupied!  You can't help but admire their 
courage, even in a lost cause.